RACE PREVIEW: Gallagher Grand Prix at the IMS Road Course
FRIDAY, AUGUST 11 – SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 2023
RACE: Gallagher Grand Prix
TRACK: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course
LOCATION: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
TRACK LAYOUT: 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course
RACE LENGTH: 85 Laps/207.315 Miles
PRACTICE: Friday – 9-10:30 a.m. ET (Peacock Premium), 4-4:30 p.m. ET (Peacock Premium)
QUALIFYING: Friday – 12:30-2 p.m. ET (Peacock Premium)
RACE: Saturday – 2 p.m. ET (USA Network)
RYAN HUNTER-REAY, NO. 20 BITNILE.COM CHEVROLET
RYAN HUNTER-REAY, No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet: “It’s always special going to back to Indy! This will be my first attempt at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course with ECR. I am looking forward to developing the team’s setup package there to suit my driving style.”
OF NOTE:
• Ryan Hunter-Reay has been a part of each event on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course but two since the NTT INDYCAR SERIES began utilizing the layout in 2014. He has recorded two podium finishes, finishing 2nd in 2014 and 3rd in 2017. Hunter-Reay has been the picture of consistency on the IMS road course, running at the finish of each race in his 11 starts and completing all but one lap.
• Hunter-Reay, recognized as one of the most successful American open wheel racing drivers, has brought a wealth of experience to the Ed Carpenter Racing with an INDYCAR career that spans two decades. He joined the team as driver of the No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet in June, prior to the Road America race weekend.
• The Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based driver is an NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion (2012) with 18 career wins, including a victory in the 2014 Indianapolis 500. Hunter-Reay also has multiple overall IMSA sportscar wins, the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans among them, has been invited to the Race of Champions five times and has won two ESPY ‘Driver of the Year’ awards (2013 and 2014).
RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 BITNILE.COM CHEVROLET
RINUS VEEKAY, No. 21 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet: “I am very excited to get back to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, can never have enough races there! I have had lots of firsts there, first Top 5, first pole, first win. It’s a great place for me! Hopefully we can get a little redemption from earlier this year, from the Indy 500, we’re just going a different direction this weekend. We learned a lot from the Indy GP during May that should help us now in August. It’s good to be back on a road course for the first time in a while, no crazy bumps on this one! It’s going to be exciting and hopefully it’s a really good race for us and BITNILE.COM!”
OF NOTE:
• The Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course is home to many of Rinus VeeKay’s career milestones. In just his second NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, VeeKay recorded his first Top 5 finish on the road course in July of 2020. A few months later in the October event, VeeKay earned his first pole position, led the first laps of his career and earned his first podium finish. In May 2021, he joined the ranks of race winners when he scored his first victory. Last season, VeeKay added another Top 10 finish to his tally with a 6th place in the July race held at the track.
• Earlier this year, VeeKay made his 50th career start and qualified on the front row of the Indianapolis 500 for the third consecutive time. The 22-year-old has spent his entire NTT INDYCAR SERIES career with Ed Carpenter Racing and is the team’s longest-tenured full-time driver, now in his fourth season behind the wheel the No. 21 Chevrolet.
• Born in Hoofddorp, Netherlands, Rinus van Kalmthout began karting in 2009 at the age of 8. With sights set firmly on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, he transitioned to the Road to Indy in 2017 and launched his U.S. career driving as Rinus VeeKay. Just four years into his time in the United States, he not only reached the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, but earned 2020 Rookie of the Year honors.
Tags BITNILE.COMGallager Grand PrixIndianapolis Motor SpeedwayNTT IndyCar SeriesRinus VeeKayRyan Hunter-Reay
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